Seller Closing Costs in Arizona: The Statewide Guide

This is the statewide companion to our seller closing costs in Arizona post, which walks a Phoenix sale line by line. This page is the rulebook behind those lines: which costs are set by Arizona law, which are set by your contracts, and which change from Maricopa to Pima to Coconino or Yavapai County. Where a number appears below, it comes from a statute or a government source, checked today.

The seller cost checklist

Here is every line a typical Arizona seller should expect, who usually ends up paying it, and where the rule actually comes from. "The contract" means your purchase contract with the buyer, and that is where most of these get decided.

No transfer tax in Arizona

Arizona does not tax the sale of a home the way many states do. Article 9, Section 24 of the Arizona Constitution says the state and local governments shall not impose any new tax, fee, stamp requirement or other assessment on selling, purchasing or otherwise conveying an interest in real property. It does not apply to anything already in existence on December 31, 2007. If you are moving here from a state with a transfer tax, this is often the single biggest difference on the settlement statement.

Recording fees and the affidavit of property value

When the deed records, the county recorder charges a flat fee. A.R.S. 11-475 sets the standard recording fee at $30 per instrument, with no per page charge for recording, and it applies in every Arizona county. The Pima County Recorder's fee page lists the same $30 flat fee under that statute.

The deed also needs an affidavit of property value. Under A.R.S. 11-1133, it goes with the deed unless the deed notes an exemption under A.R.S. 11-1134. Your title company prepares it.

Title insurance and escrow

Title and escrow are two different services, usually from the same company. The owner's title policy protects the buyer against defects in title. The escrow fee pays for handling the money and the documents. Who pays each is set in the purchase contract, and your agent can tell you what is customary in your county. There is no single statewide dollar figure for either, so get a written quote from the title company before you sign, and ask for the estimated settlement statement early. If a title issue surfaces, read our post on title problems that delay closings.

Property tax proration

Arizona property taxes are billed in two halves. Under A.R.S. 42-18052, the first half is due October 1 and delinquent after November 1 at 5:00 p.m. The second half is due March 1 and delinquent after May 1 at 5:00 p.m. A tax bill of $100 or less is due in full October 1.

At closing, escrow splits the year's taxes by the closing date. You owe the days you owned the home. If you have already paid a half that covers days after closing, the buyer credits you back. If the half is unpaid, escrow pays it from your proceeds. For more on how the bill is built, see how Arizona property taxes work.

HOA resale document fees

If the home is in an HOA or a condominium, the association prepares a resale disclosure package and charges the seller for it. State law caps the charge. For planned communities, A.R.S. 33-1806 allows no more than an aggregate of $400, a rush fee of no more than $100, and no more than $50 for an updated report requested 30 days or more after the original. A.R.S. 33-1260 sets the same caps for condominiums. The package is due within ten days, and the 2026 changes are in our post on Arizona HOA law changes.

Agent compensation after 2024

Agent compensation is not set by law. It is whatever you agree to in the listing agreement. Since the practice changes that the National Association of REALTORS says took effect August 17, 2024, buyers sign a written agreement with their own agent before touring, and any money you offer toward the buyer's side is a negotiated term, not an assumption. Our listing agent commission post covers how to negotiate it.

Sellers who are not U.S. persons: FIRPTA

If the seller is a foreign person for tax purposes, federal law requires the buyer to withhold part of the sale price at closing. The IRS says the withholding rate is generally 15 percent. One exception applies when the buyer will use the home as a residence and the sale price is not more than $300,000. Talk to a tax professional early, because this changes how much cash you see at closing.

Estimate what you would walk away with

City by city: what changes and what does not

The state rules above are the same in every Arizona city. What changes is the price of the home, which drives the percentage based costs, and the county that records your deed and collects your taxes.

Median values: U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts for Phoenix, Mesa, Chandler and Gilbert and QuickFacts for Scottsdale, Tucson, Flagstaff and Prescott, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024, checked November 2, 2026. These are survey estimates for all owner occupied homes, not recent sale prices. Recording fee: A.R.S. 11-475.

The reason this matters: commission, title premiums and concessions scale with price, so the same checklist produces very different dollar totals in Scottsdale and Tucson. The fixed items, like recording and the HOA document cap, do not.

Selling and buying at the same time

Most of the sellers we talk to are also buying, and closing costs on the sale decide how much is left for the next down payment. Financing costs matter too: Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey put the 30 year fixed at 7.24 percent on October 29, 2026, down from 7.32 percent the week before and up from 6.17 percent a year earlier.

If you need to buy before the sale closes, our buy before you sell page and bridge loans in Arizona page explain how equity in the current home can fund the next one. To decide the order, read sell before you buy or buy before you sell, and for the calendar, the best time of year to sell a house in Arizona. When you are ready to look, browse Arizona homes on Arizona Luxury Property Search.

How to lower what you pay

Ask for the estimated settlement statement as soon as you are under contract, not two days before closing. Order HOA documents the week you go under contract so a rush fee is never needed. Fix the inexpensive items a buyer's inspector will flag before you list, so they do not become a bigger credit on the BINSR; our guide on what to fix before selling a house in Arizona and its Gilbert companion cover which ones. And when a buyer asks for a concession, ask your lender what that money does to the buyer's payment before you agree to a number. To see when the money actually reaches you, read when sellers get paid after closing.

Honest caveat: this guide explains the rules, not your total. Title and escrow fees vary by company, commission is negotiated, and taxes depend on your parcel. Nobody can give you a real number without the property, the price and the contract in front of them. For the whole process in order, start with our step by step guide to selling a house in Arizona, or see our loan programs if your next purchase needs financing.

Sources

• Arizona Constitution, Article 9, Section 24, azleg.gov, checked November 2, 2026.
• Arizona Revised Statutes 11-475, 11-1133, 33-1806, 33-1260 and 42-18052, azleg.gov, checked November 2, 2026.
• Pima County Recorder, Recording Fees page, checked November 2, 2026.
• IRS, FIRPTA Withholding and Exceptions from FIRPTA Withholding, checked November 2, 2026.
• National Association of REALTORS, The Facts, checked November 2, 2026.
• U.S. Census Bureau, QuickFacts, American Community Survey 2020 to 2024, checked November 2, 2026.
• Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, October 29, 2026 release, checked November 2, 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What closing costs does a seller pay in Arizona?

Arizona sellers typically pay the listing compensation they agreed to, any buyer side compensation or credits they negotiate, their share of title and escrow fees as the purchase contract assigns them, property taxes prorated to the closing date, any loan payoff, and HOA resale document fees. Arizona has no state transfer tax.

Does Arizona have a real estate transfer tax?

No. Article 9, Section 24 of the Arizona Constitution bars any new tax, fee, stamp requirement or other assessment on selling or transferring an interest in real property. It does not apply to anything that existed on December 31, 2007.

How much does it cost to record a deed in Arizona?

A.R.S. 11-475 sets the standard county recording fee at $30 per instrument, with no per page charge for recording. The deed also needs an affidavit of property value unless an exemption applies.

How are property taxes handled when you sell a house in Arizona?

Escrow prorates them to the closing date. Arizona taxes are billed in two halves: the first half is due October 1 and delinquent after November 1 at 5:00 p.m., and the second half is due March 1 and delinquent after May 1 at 5:00 p.m. You owe the days you owned the home.

How much can an HOA charge a seller for resale documents in Arizona?

No more than an aggregate of $400 under A.R.S. 33-1806 for planned communities and A.R.S. 33-1260 for condominiums, plus a rush fee of no more than $100 and no more than $50 for an updated report requested 30 days or more after the original.

Do foreign sellers pay extra when selling in Arizona?

Under FIRPTA the buyer must generally withhold 15 percent of the amount realized when the seller is a foreign person, according to the IRS. One exception applies when the buyer will use the home as a residence and the price is not more than $300,000.